March 2024
Chuck 's Reviews
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breathe through your nose and exhale rapidly though your mouth. This helps dissipate the carbon dioxide from the body. McCoy Park is a private, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing paradise. It has over 18 miles of groomed trails that traverse through pine forests and some beautiful aspen groves. It also has wide-open expanses of glades with virgin powder that is four feet deep in some areas! Snowshoeing through this spectacular scenery was delightful. It was especially interesting to learn more about The Beaver Creek Hiking Center's amazing upcoming summer trip to Italy. You'll be able to bike, hike and take some Italian cooking lessons with like-minded outdoor enthusiasts. At about 10,800 feet we turn onto a smaller path that loops back down the mountain and parallels Primrose trail. We snow-shoed down the mountain in four feet of virgin powder. This was the highlight of the tour because the snowshoes enabled me to balance and walk on top of the snow. We rode the Strawberry Park Express lift back down to the Nordic Center. The view of the village of Beaver Creek is spectacular from this vantage point. You also get a bird's-eye view of the Gore Mountain range in the distance. It's easy to see why the resort's tagline is: "Beaver Creek. Not exactly roughing it." The Beaver Creek Nordic Center is located at the bottom of the Strawberry Park Condo building next to the Beaver Creek Medical Center. It's open from 9am to 4pm daily and you can rent cross-country skis and snowshoe equipment. Group tours are offered from 10am to 12:15pm, and 1:15pm to 3:30pm. The group rate is $70 per person. Equipment is not included. Half-day private tours are available at $255 for one to three persons. Full-day private tours are available upon request. Call 970-754-5313 to make your reservation. Contact Nate Goldberg directly at this same number for information regarding the 2008 Italy summer excursion.
THE LODGE AT VAIL Check-in at the lobby was a bit hectic and delayed; they were obviously understaffed and in the midst of training new employees. Waiting in the compact and cozy lobby, a staff member warmly greeted us and I was escorted to a deluxe room. This was a moderately sized room, with basic, no-nonsense decor and a king-sized bed with a marble bath and heated towel warmers. My view of the outside heated pool was not striking, but not awful either. Rooms range widely from the basic lodge room up to deluxe two- and three-bedroom condominium suites. The smartest approach for breakfast is to wear your ski gear to the Cucina Rustica. The door next to the restaurant opens to the village and the base of Vail. Cucina Rustica has a glorious hot and cold buffet, which is included in the cost of the room. It's a great place to enjoy and sample all the wonderful pastries, egg concoctions, breakfast meats, muffins and pancake combinations. Why not? If you're headed for the slopes or to the shops, you'll need an extra hearty breakfast. Go for it and indulge! Tip: Borrow the resort's complimentary Volvo SUV XC 90 courtesy car for a four-hour test drive. We had to run back to the Beaver Creek Resort to run an errand and were pleasantly surprised when the bellman offered this brilliant option. The car was well maintained and clean inside. It was much more convenient than calling a taxi or car service. Try to reserve the vehicle the day before to ensure getting access when you need it. Rates for a deluxe room start at $259 per night in December and run $649 to $679 a night during high season. The Lodge at Vail, 174 East Gore Creek Drive, Vail CO, 81657. Tel: 970-476-5011.
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